FirstBank has appointed Chinwe Egwim as Chief Economist, embedding macroeconomic intelligence within senior executive decision-making as Nigeria’s oldest commercial bank strengthens analytical capabilities guiding balance sheet positioning, liquidity management, and economic risk assessment across its multi-market operations.

Egwim joins FirstBank from Coronation Merchant Bank, where she served as Chief Economist since 2021. She brings 15 years of experience spanning investment banking, development finance, credit rating, and central banking.

The appointment places her within FirstBank’s senior executive management and signals the elevation of economic intelligence from a supporting function to a strategic capability directly informing institutional direction.

A World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, Egwim built a reputation for precision in economic forecasting and has produced more than 500 published economic notes covering macroeconomic analysis, fiscal policy, and market intelligence.

Her work has informed decision-making among government officials, multilateral institutions, diplomatic missions, and corporate executives navigating Nigeria’s volatile macroeconomic environment.

Her previous roles include Lead Economist at FBNQuest Merchant Bank from 2014 to 2021, analyst positions at Fitch Ratings in Milan covering sub-Saharan African economies, and engagements with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Department and the Debt Management Office’s Market Development Department.

The career path reflects experience across credit analysis, monetary policy frameworks, and fiscal sustainability assessment, competencies directly relevant to commercial banking treasury and balance sheet management.

Egwim’s appointment to Nigeria’s Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee in 2023 gave her direct exposure to policy formulation around taxation, revenue mobilisation, and fiscal consolidation.

In recent public commentary, she emphasised Nigeria’s low tax-to-GDP ratio and described ongoing reforms as “a deliberate shift from a narrow and fragmented tax structure to a wider and more comprehensive framework.”

She also served as National Consultant on a United Nations Economic Commission for Africa programme focused on services trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area, contributing expertise on financial services liberalisation and cross-border regulatory harmonisation.

That experience aligns with Nigerian banks’ growing regional expansion ambitions.

Egwim completed executive education at Harvard Kennedy School focused on global leadership and public policy, alongside degrees from the European School of Economics Milan, Kingston University London, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana.

Her international academic exposure complements professional experience spanning Nigerian, European, and pan-African markets.

The appointment reflects FirstBank’s recognition that macroeconomic volatility, naira depreciation, persistent inflation, and monetary policy uncertainty require analytical capabilities extending beyond traditional treasury functions.

Embedding the Chief Economist role within senior executive leadership signals an intention to translate economic intelligence into strategic decisions around capital allocation, sector exposure, geographic expansion, and liability management.

For Nigeria’s banking sector, the move reinforces a broader shift toward elevating economic research from a back-office function into a front-office capability directly shaping commercial strategy.

When macroeconomic conditions influence asset quality, funding costs, and customer behaviour, institutions investing in economic intelligence gain advantages over peers relying on reactive decision-making.

Egwim assumes the role during a period requiring particularly sharp economic judgment as FirstBank navigates interest rate trends, exchange-rate stability, fiscal sustainability concerns, and evolving sectoral credit risks while pursuing growth across Nigeria’s recovering economy.

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